'Suits' renewed for 9th and final season following departure of Meghan Markle, Patrick J. Adams

'Suits' will return for a final season following the departure of Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle.
(USA Network)

Ahead of the “Suits” Season 8 winter premiere, USA Network has announced that the show will return for Season 9, which will bring the lengthy drama to an end.

According to Deadline, the legal drama will return for a 10-episode season set to debut in the summer of 2019. With the renewal, “Suits” will become the network’s longest-running original scripted series at 134 episodes.

Many fans aren’t surprised by the decision to pull the plug. The show lost three of its principal cast members in recent years. Season 6 saw the departure of Gina Torres while Season 7 wrapped up storylines for main characters Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle, who quit the series to marry Prince Harry and become the Duchess of Sussex in a high-profile royal wedding last May.

Fortunately, this isn’t the end for the world of “Suits.” Deadline notes that the spinoff series “Pearson,” starring Torres’ character, is set to debut in the spring.

“Suits has played an instrumental role in our network’s DNA for nearly a decade,” USA Network and SyFy's president, Chris McCumber, told the outlet in a statement. “I and everyone at USA Network sincerely thank Aaron Korsh, our partners at UCP and the entire Suits family for their tremendous creativity, devotion and support over a truly amazing run.”